1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electricity, circuit makers and breakers, special applications with movable or removable interposed non-conductors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A preferred embodiment of the invention is one incorporating an insulated switching member interposed between conductive contacts. The prior art has known many types of switching devices incorporating an interposed insulating device. Many in the prior art have used solenoids to linearly drive an insulating member between a pair of contacts which were spring mounted to engage one another. Upon energizing the solenoid the insulator is driven between the contact pair thereby separating the contacts and breaking the circuit.
Others in the prior art have incorporated the principle of an interposed insulator for a cut-off switch for a vehicle. An insulator separating a contact pair is attached to the driver of the vehicle by an insulating cord. If the driver is dismounted from the vehicle such as a tractor, the interposed insulator is removed and the contacts short the ignition thereby terminating operation of the vehicle.
Others in the prior art have incorporated the principle of an interposed insulator in a rotary switching device. In these devices, an insulating switching disc having a contact aperture is mounted on a shaft for rotation between contacts on either side of the switching disc. When the contact aperture is rotated between the contacts, the contacts engage through the contact aperture. A further rotation of the switching disc again interposes the insulating disc between the contacts.
In all of the prior art switching devices, the insulating member was fixed to an energizing device such as a solenoid armature or a rotating shaft. In the rotating switching devices, the insulating disc was secured to a rotating shaft to effect rotation of the insulating disc between the contact. Consequently, the location of the contact apertures in the insulating disc was difficult to change. In addition the rotary switches required rotary motion which is not easily obtained by the linear movement of a solenoid. These rotary switches usually exhibit a significant resistance to rotation thereby requiring a powerful solenoid for operation. Finally the construction of such a rotary switch was expensive due to the housing required to journal the shaft and due to the mountings required to secure the insulating disc to the shaft.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an electrical switching device which is easily adaptable to the linear movement of a solenoid.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical switching device wherein the electrical switching member may be readily changed.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical switching which may be operated by a low power solenoid.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical switching device which is reliable and inexpensive.